When developing an enterprise or supplier development (ESD) programme, the process used to select participating entrepreneurs naturally influences everything else that will follow. As such, it is absolutely critical that such a process be thorough, methodical and strategically designed. The overall framework that will craft your selection criteria will be based in part on the […]

Enterprise and supplier development (ESD) is important to South Africa’s economic future. South Africa requires an economy that create jobs, reduce inequality and alleviate poverty and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) can play a key role in achieving this goal. They are more conducive to innovation given their organisational dexterity, capable of serving consumer […]

Crafting an effective enterprise and supplier development (ESD) strategy is a multi-dimensional process where each formulation stage informs the other. A driving thought of developing the right strategy for a chosen supplier is finding the areas where strategic sourcing and economic development can create opportunities for inclusion. Designing a strategy can occur in three distinct […]

Enterprise and supplier development (ESD) within South Africa faces unique restrictions, particularly previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs. While apartheid itself is firmly in the rear view mirror of the past, the structural imbalances it produced in South Africa’s economy, both intentional and unforeseen, still persist today. The purpose of South Africa’s policy framework, which targets enterprise and […]

Strategic decision making should be informed by clear evidence and these are the principles that we apply within the Economic Development practice at Letsema Consulting. Any strategy we work on and conceptualise is built on facts, deductive reasoning and proof of concept, before we make recommendations are made to our clients. Combined with the entrepreneurial […]

The concept of Lean Principles is often over-complicated, hiding the true value Lean can have in all types of organisations. Lean tools can be effectively used in a variety of industries to assist in enabling organisations to meet their strategic objectives. The principle of Lean is to run an organisation where the greatest possible customer […]

Are executives in South Africa embracing and scaling the potential of digital technologies in creating or maintaining world-class, competitive Procurement and Supply Chain capabilities? In July 2018, Letsema’s NextGenOps practice, led by Partner, Kamendran Govender,  executed a market survey process to gain different perspectives into this question. They interviewed more than 20 executives in South Africa who […]

One hundred kilometres south west of Mthatha alongside the Indian Ocean in the Eastern Cape is Nqileni Village, home of the Bulungula Incubator (BI). Réjane Woodroffe, an Africa Leadership Initiative Fellow was one of the BI’s founders in 2007 and has been its director since day one. She describes the communities the BI work with […]

The decline in traditional mailing A changing economic landscape, characterised by digitalisation and innovation, has resulted in a decline in traditional mailing services. The digitisation of traditional mail occurred though the adoption of email and other forms of digital communication. A relevant example is the South African Post Office (SAPO) which has paid the price […]

Contrary to South Africa’s recent slate of poor economic growth, it has over the past two decades shown overall improvements, boosting living standards and reducing poverty nationwide. However, significant reforms are necessary to accelerate growth and create a self-sustaining platform for the country. South Africa, through the National Development Plan (NDP) aims to eliminate poverty […]